Valerie Jesswein and Sara Terry say “they are not running a museum” rather, they are hoping to give their customers an experience at their newly opened store Daydreaming Vintage.
Jesswein and Terry’s daydream of having their own shop went from a thought to reality in roughly six weeks time. They toyed around with the idea of opening a temporary store or setting up a booth in another location. When Terry saw the 203 East Oak location for sale, they decided to take a look. Within five minutes of the tour, they decided to go for it.
Daydreaming Vintage was born out of the imagination and creativity of two friends. Jesswein and Terry became friends five years ago and began going to antique shops, estate sales, and making their own home decor. They have been putting together a collection of home decor and furniture that is full of (in their words) “all things junky, artsy, antique, repurposed, retro, vintage and fun!”
Jesswein’s parents have owned an antique shop in California since she was a young girl. Her years of experience antique shopping with her parents and her love for sewing and creating made her an ideal business partner to Terry. Terry has years of experience being a business owner and has a unique eye for re-purposing furniture among other skills.
They have put together a colorful collection that is priced to sell. They want to fill the store with things that trigger memories and have a story rather than items that are special because they are “worth something”. They are mostly finding joy as pieces of their collection are walking out the door. Occasionally they feel a tug at their heart as they have grown attached to some of the one of a kind items.
So far, Terry says they are finding that the items made by her and her partner are selling quickly. In the near future, they hope to offer classes where they provide participants with the supplies and the guidance to make their own one of a kind items. They have the desire to add to what Mahomet has to offer, rather than compete with experiences already being offered.
“We want Mahomet to be a town you go to for lunch and shopping,” Terry said.
Sara and her husband Casey Terry of Mahomet have two children Ethan (13) and Ella (10). Her husband and son share a passion for hunting. Ella and her mom share a passion for a different kind of hunting, hunting for good junk.
Valerie and her husband Erin Jesswein have two boys Cody (17) and Tyler (15) who have always supported her passion to create and collect. They have all grown accustomed to all of Mom’s weird projects.
The store hours are Thursday to Saturday, 12-4.
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